The Truth Behind Dreams
by Fail2Ninja
Summary: Fed up with his constant failures at the hands of Sonic, Eggman begins to look for a new dimension to conquer. With the arrival of Klonoa, The Dream Traveler, he and Sonic must team up to stop Eggman before his experiments threaten not just their reality but all realities connected through dreams.
1. Chapter 1

**(Hello to all my loyal readers. I've been going through a lot of changes recently, namely moving to a city and starting work. That being said I've been bit by the Fanfic idea bug and which has resulted in this story. I'm hoping I'll be able to stick with this idea, finish and return to my still running Batman fic, though it has been harder working that out with no Beta to double check my work. If anyone would like to help me out with that, please get in touch with me, but for now I'm going to stick with this new idea and have fun with it. You should always write because its fun. ^_^ Hope you enjoy this new story.**)

Title: Truth behind the Dream

_**When I dream, will I see you?**_

_**When you dream, will you see me to?**_

_**I will fix the bridge between two worlds**_

_**So I can send you a message of love.**_

A cool breeze flowed through the hills, rousing a certain blue hedgehog from his nap. He sat up and stretched out his arms and let out a big yawn. The tree he slept under kept the summer day's blistering temperature to a comforting level. This hilly area was one of his top 50 places to relax, a list that was steadily growing as he traveled around the world. No matter where he traveled or what he did, would always be at least one spot that he would make a mental note to come back for whenever he got too tired or ate too many chili dogs. Ever since his good friends had given him his surprise birthday party, Sonic was thoroughly enjoying his quiet time, stopping in on his friends every now and again. Eggman had been unusually quiet ever since his attempt to eliminate Sonic and his past self but it was only a matter of time till another harebrained attempt to take over the world.

However, Eggman was the last thing on Sonic's mind. As many times that Sonic has sent the pudgy, mad-scientist packing, the whole saving the world from his schemes had been reduced to a minor annoyance. Sonic's main interest was filling his empty belly and staying one step ahead of the one thing that was his biggest annoyance.

"Sonic!" came a high-pitched cry from behind him.

Speak of the devil.

Sonic cringed for impact as a pair of arms wrapped around him in a death grip. The sheer force of the glomp forced the two to roll down the hill and into the searing heat. After the two had come to a complete stop, Sonic attempted to unwind himself from his attacker, only to be thwarted at every turn.

"I…" Amy Rose, his self-proclaimed girlfriend, tried to pant out the rest of her sentence. "…finally found you." She made eye contact with him in her usual enthusiastic intensity. Sonic gave her a nervous grin as he tried to think of numerous was to escape from his current predicament.

"Its…ah….good to see you Amy." He was able to mumble out. Better to get on her good side right away or face the wrath of the hammer she always used. Amy gave him a confident smile as she sat up to wipe the sweat from her brow.

"I know that look Sonic, and don't you dare think your going to weasel out of this. You still owe me a date." Sonic wasn't sure if the sweat rolling down his back was from the heat or fear. Amy had spent years to trying to get Sonic to go out with her, all without success. It seemed that the more time went by, the more determined she became. Sonic meant no animosity to Amy; in fact he considered her one of his closest friends. The problem was…well, all these "romantic" things she wanted to do with him were bit too slow paced and weird. Such as fortunetellers, eating at fancy restaurants, dancing (which he had no idea how to) and walking on the beach. The last one in particular was his least favorite since it involved walking, not running, right next to his mortal enemy the ocean.

"Well…" Sonic said as he finally began to breath again. "What is it you want to do?" He winced; he would at least hear her out, before heading for the hills.

"I though we could have a picnic lunch next to that tree." She said cheerfully pointing back up the hill. "I brought your favorite, two chili dogs with the works." Sonic sat in shock at what he was hearing, while his stomach cried its approval. Before he knew it they were back in the shade of the tree with one of the two chilidogs safely consumed.

"I got these from one of the stands at the town just down the road." Amy said as she swallowed a bit of her sandwich. "At least it's hot enough for them to stay warm." Sonic was barely paying attention as the second chilidog vanished in a matter of seconds. "Wow! If I had known you were so hungry I would have gotten more."

"No thanks, that was perfect. I think I've got my energy back now." Sonic said as he stood up to stretch out his legs.

"You see!" She said confidently, "I'm not that bad to have around am I? Who else takes care of you and gives you chilidogs whenever you want." Sonic sighed, it was happening all over again. A marriage proposal was just around the corner, he could feel it.

"So what have you been up to recently?" She asked, twiddling her thumbs. Sonic turned to face her. That was the second time she had surprised him today. He was starting to wonder if this was really the same Amy Rose that he fled in terror from.

"Um, not much I guess. Just kicking back."

"Any sign of Doctor Eggman?" she asked.

"Not a hair from his mustache." He replied.

"Wouldn't that be great if he has stopped for good? You wouldn't have to fight him anymore." Amy smiled, but Sonic shook his head.

"That guy is too stubborn to just give up. He'll definitely try again, and I'm going to be there when he does." He looked to Amy and shrugged. "Its what I do." She looked down to the ground.

"Yeah. It's always something else isn't it? But don't you ever get tired?" she asked.

"Sure I do. That's why I was taking a nap." Sonic said pointing to the tree.

"That's not what I-Oh! Never mind." Amy huffed. Sonic cocked his head to the side, not understanding what was making Amy upset but he only hoped that she wasn't reaching for the hammer.

"Although," Sonic mused, "Lately every time I take a nap, I keep having the same dream."

"What kind of dream?" Amy stood up and waited curiously for an answer. Sonic put one hand to his forehead as the dream came back to him.

"It was weird. I was all-alone in this dark area. No matter where I ran to the scenery didn't change. At one point I see someone on the other side."

"Who was the person?" Amy asked intently, hanging of his every word.

"Couldn't say. Their back was turned. But whoever it was had a ring of some kind. It was gold and had a large gemstone on it. It was pretty big to; I've never seen a ring like that anywhere around here-" Before he could continue he became alarmed by the expression that now graced Amy's face. It was wide eyed and red in the face, while the rest of her body seemed to be fidgeting nervously. "Amy?" Sonic hesitated to ask. "Are you ok?"

"EEEAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" she cried out, jumping up and down in place. "I'm fine!" she squealed. "More than fine! I knew you would come around someday but I had no idea it would be this soon. Oh my gosh! There is so much to get ready for! I have to go, I need to tell Cream and Cheese the news!"

"News about what?" Sonic asked. Not entire sure what Amy was on to, was there something about the dream she understood but he didn't? Before he could stop her, she was already down the hill and on her way.

"Take care Sonic-darling. I'll see you in a few weeks!" she called back. She gave a wave and an air kiss before she ran out of sight. For a few minutes, Sonic just stood there. Flabbergasted. Surprise number 3. Amy had been the one to leave him in the cold. He scratched his head, not sure he liked feeling like this, but shrugged it off. It was Amy; she was never gone for long.

As he took off down the hill and back on his way, he couldn't help but think about the recurring dream again. What he hadn't been able to tell Amy was that the being with the ring, eventually became surrounded by the seven Chaos Emeralds. After that a large shadow like monster appeared, its red eyes and mouth bearing down on the lone figure. Sonic had tried to race toward the person to help them but found his usual super speed had been slowed down to a crawl. No matter how hard he tried, the person always ended up eaten by the shadow monster. He felt bad about it, but it was only a dream. The here and now was the only thing that mattered to Sonic as he sped up feeling the rush of the wind through his quills and his adrenaline climb as he left the rolling hills behind him.

**Meanwhile…in a dark laboratory overlooking a cliff.**

"I've had it." The infamous mechanical genius, Dr. Eggman, slumped over in his chair hands on his bald head. "That's it! I've had it! I give up!" he shouted. He proceeded to pound his fist on the armrest and grind his teeth. Through an absolute fluke, he and his past self had managed to escape their purgatory like prison and make it back to their own time lines. He had assumed with both Sonics back in their original timelines had forced the two of them back to their own, restoring balance to the timeline. Yet despite his good luck to be back cozy laboratory, nothing felt the same. He had no drive to create more robot minions knowing that they would only be destroyed by Sonic the minute he used them. No matter what plans or strategies he devised or even pondered, one constant factor stood in the way of their success, Sonic the Hedgehog.

The frustration was becoming too much for the evil mechanist to bear. Grabbing a piece of stray equipment, he lashed out at his latest devices, kicking and screaming all the while. Some of his functional robots hid out of harm's way as they watched their creator break down. It wasn't long before the entire room was in shambles. Parts hard been bent or incinerated beyond repair, charts and notes on ancient civilizations with power sources had been ripped to shreds, and any robot dumb enough to get close enough to him quickly stopped functioning.

"Are you happy now rodent?" Eggman cried out. "You win! I lose! Are you satisfied? Will you finally leave me in peace?"

The last item he grabbed was his notes on the potential for travel through time and dimensional shifting. After taking a moment to look at it, he tore out the information on time travel and promptly burned it. That plan had failed in the most horrific way possible, having TWO Sonics dish out twice the humiliation. However, as he tore through the notes, he couldn't help but feel that he had been on to something with this idea. But as long as Sonic was around to foil it, there was no hope in his dream for world domination ever getting off the ground. If Sonic weren't always there to stop him, his chances would increase dramatically. Yet the little bugger was impossible to kill. If only there was some kind of safe haven, a place where a wayward, evil, genius to work in peace everything would be better. Eggman stopped dead. He looked in his hand to see the torn pages on dimensional shifting. An evil smile worked its way on his face.

"Hehehehehe Ahahahahahahah!" he laughed out loud, clutching the notes to his chest. "Why didn't I see this before?" he declared clearing off his damaged workbench and placed the notes proudly on top of it. "If the little blue devil is going to be an problem, I can simply go somewhere else! I could travel to a dimension where the trouble maker never even existed to begin with!" He couldn't believe the brilliance of his new idea. No matter how he thought about it, it was a win-win. Sonic and his little band would be free from him but most importantly; he would be free from them. The very thought was making him as giddy as a schoolboy. All that would be required was to create the proper device without drawing attention and finding a dimension that would be easy for him to conquer with what remained of his forces. Neither of which would be too much of an issue. With the proper parts and correct theory, he would be on his way to a new home, one that would worship him as the god he was.

One way or another, his dream would come true, even if it meant ruining the dreams of others.

**In the rift between dimensions**

A gold ring floats amidst the darkness of sleep and detects a world in peril. It begins to glow, its light enveloping the sleeping, cabbit boy holding the it. The light speeds off into the darkness, transporting the Dream Traveler to a new world.

(**Thanks for reading! Please send reviews on what you think of the first chapter. Are you excited? Interested? Bored? If so let me know and feel free to give any constructive critics. Its all appreciated.)****  
**


	2. Chapter 2

"TEST COORDINATES LOCKED IN."

"ALL GENERATORS TO MAXIMUM POWER."

"STANDING BY FOR PORTAL IGNITION."

A chorus of robotic voices sounded off one by one as they bustled around testing chamber #1, located deep underground the main laboratory. Consoles flashed like Christmas lights as incoming data poured through the many wires littered throughout the room. Like veins, they twisted in and out of different monitor panels, energy generators and lastly a gigantic circular device. Eggman beamed as he looked down on it all from his levitating chair. With all the hard guesswork behind him, he was ready to give his new dimensional portal its first test run. It had taken more than a few weeks to get his laboratory in proper working condition and even more time to compare notes or even build the device. Food? Took too long. Sleep? Hours wasted that could be spent on perfecting a machine that would keep his arch nemesis from ever finding him again. Sleep was a trivial sacrifice compared to what he was about to gain. Nothing could be left to chance.

Eggman gripped the armrest of his chair as the anticipation coursed though his body. He knew that hedgehog was out there, watching him; waiting for the moment he left his guard down. The minute that happened, the little blue wrecking ball would tear his way through till all Eggman had worked for lay in shambles. The mad scientist chuckled to himself.

"No…not this time. You'll not stop me this time Sonic. Soon I'll finally be free of you and there won't be anything you can do about it." He sneered, eyes darting back and forth behind his glasses.

"DR. EGGMAN? ARE YOU ALRIGHT SIR?" asked his assistant bot.

"Give me a full status report of the laboratory's outer wall, immediately!" Eggman ordered. The tiny robot flinched at the doctor's sudden outburst but quickly followed its orders.

"ALL OUTER WALL SENORS INDICATE NO ANOMOLIES. WALL INTERGITY AT 100% CAPACITY. ALL 673 CANNONS ARE FUNCTIONAL AND AWAITING FURTHUR ORDERS. YOUR ARMY OF 5,987 DRONES PATROLING THE WALL REPORT NO DISTURBANCES AND ARE AWAITING FURTHUR ORDERS. ALL STATIONS REPORT NO SIGHTINGS OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG OR HIS ALLIES…JUST AS THEY DID THREE MINUTES AGO." The assist bot hesitated for a moment as it waited for the doctor's reaction. It hated to think what he would do to it if it made him angry but he was clearly in some kind of mental distress.

"Oh no. He is out there. I know it! Just waiting for me to make a mistake. He always does. But I'm not going to give him that satisfaction, oh ho no." He looked back down to the assist bot. "How many drones are off the assembly line now?"

"2,432 DOCTOR." It replied.

"Good. Send them all to the outer wall. I want extra sentries posted for when the little menace makes his appearance." He said stroking his mustache. He slowly floated his hover chair down as he made a few more inspections of the testing room. Everything had to be in order before he gave the order to begin.

"DOCTOR, MAY I MAKE A QUERY?" the assist bot asked tenitively as it floated alongside his master.

"What is it? I'm busy!" Eggman snapped.

"EVEN WITH ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS YOU HAVE MADE TO THE OUTER WALL AND EVEN DRONE ARMAMENTS, THE LIKELY HOOD OF THEM WITHSTANDING AN ENCOUNTER AGAINST SONIC THE HEDGEHOG IS 287,095 TO ONE…BASED ON PAST BREAK-INS." It flinched as Eggman turned to face him, his face burning with rage.

"Does this little math lesson have a point?" he grumbled.

"I MERELY WANTED TO INQUIRE THE REASON BEHIND THE LARGE NUMBER OF DEFENSIVE MEASURES WHEN YOU ARE AWARE THAT THEY WILL DO LITTLE MORE THAN SLOW DOWN YOUR ENEMY." Eggman regarded his tiny creation for a few moments before breaking out into laughter. The assist bot looked around and tried to process what had provoked such a response. Surely it hadn't been his query…right?

"As I have learned from my last failure, time is not something to take lightly. The more drones I have slowing down our adversary, the more time I have to put the finishing touches on the dimensional portal. Besides, that nuisance will get more than he bargained for when he tries to get through the moat surrounding this facility." He chucked to himself as he pictured the sight of Sonic sinking like a rock. "Now, no further inquiries till the test is over."

"UNDERSTOOD DOCTOR." Replied the tiny robot. It hadn't been completely satisfied but it concluded rest would repair the doctor's errors in logic, if it could convince him to do so.

"All right, all stations standby." Eggman ordered. All activity in the room stopped on a dime as all the robots reported to their designated stations. A bead of sweat rolled down Eggman's baldhead, it was going to work. It had to. "Begin!"

Machines chirped as they began the process. A large robotic arm lowered to the center of the circular device placing a small concentration of various base elements and suspending it in the center. Electricity surged through the sides of soon to be doorway, shooting out to the small ball as it began to rotate at an alarming speed. Eggman clenched his fist, so far so good. A second robotic arm lowered down holding a container of a dark cloud like matter and released it into the mixture of metal and electricity. It was all that was left of the Time Eater after it had been brutally destroyed by Sonic. Hopefully, it would still prove useful in creating a dimensional portal. The dark matter began to swirl and twist around the focal point, until it thinned out and began to form a circle, no bigger than a baseball.

"OPENING OF DIMENSIONAL RIFT CONFIRMED. AWAITING YOUR ORDERS DOCTOR."

Eggman looked at it in a panic. It was so close; it had to get bigger than that.

"Add more power to the ring! Quickly!" he ordered.

"GENERATORS ARE ALREADY AT MAXIMUM OUTPUT DOCTOR." A worker bot shouted back.

"That's not possible! Make it bigger now!" He screamed. Was it a miscalculation in energy? How could something so small require so much power to make it work?

"CURRENT ENEGRY LEVELS INADEQUATE. DIMENSIONAL RIFT FADING." Sounded off another worker.

"No!" Eggman shouted, but before he could issue another order, the small black matter dissipated and the smoldering lump of metal fell to the ground. He floated down to the device and looked it over, flabbergasted. Everything had been perfect, how could he have made a miscalculation of energy? He had built some of the most sophisticated generators just for this project, why where they not enough? If that was the case, there was only one thing left in the world that could give him the energy he needed, a Chaos Emerald. However, the seven, precious gems where scattered all over the world and the minute he made a move to get one, he would draw Sonic's attention.

"Blast it all! The one time I try to do something without those cursed things and nothing works!" he yelled. "You!" he shouted at one of his workers, "Fix the output on the generators! Install new ones if you have to! If I don't have the right amount of energy to fix the portal, I'll take out your power cells and use them instead!" The little, metal worker went into a panic as it zipped down to the generators and began to look things over. Eggman rubbed his forehead to stave off and oncoming headache. While failing a test run wasn't uncommon in his line of work, he had no patience for it. Not with world domination on the line.

DOCTOR! SOMETHING IS HAPPENING TO THE PORTAL DEVICE!" one of his minions cried out. Eggman turned to face his machine, realizing that the wall behind it was…rippling. Nervous he backed a safe distance away. Had it actually worked, or had he just gotten the attention of something else? He pressed one of the buttons on his chair signaling the robots guarding the door to defend him against this potential threat. As the rippling effect sped up, all eyes and optics were glued on this strange anomaly.

Suddenly, a tiny form emerged from the distortion. No bigger than a child, the tiny creature collapsed at the foot of the portal device. The robotic guards encircled it and began to prod it for a reaction. No response.

"IT APPEARS TO BE UNCOSCIOUS DOCTOR." Said one of the guards as Eggman floated down.

"I can see that." He growled. Inspecting the individual, the little boy was a seemed to be an anthropomorphic, rabbit/cat thing with black and white fur. He was garbed in a blue T-shirt, shorts, backwards cap with a strange emblem on it and red shoes. His right hand firmly grasped a gold ring with a green gem. Eggman brow furrowed, as he looked the boy over. How this person had gotten here to begin with was a mystery but there was a very good chance he was one of Sonic's friends come to spy on him. If that was the case, there was no way he would give this boy the chance to wake up and escape.

"Take him to the interrogation cell." He ordered as he took the ring and examined it. "And increase security! That meddlesome hedgehog can't be far behind."

**In the sky above Eggman's laboratory…**

The Tornado 2 made a third pass over the mad scientist's fortress. It seemed that the new clocking device was working. The robots down below were unable to distinguish the biplane and the night sky. Tails breathed a sigh of relief that they were not trying to shoot him down…again. Still the amount of activity coming from the lab seemed ominous. Eggman was gearing up for something big if he had so many robots on guard duty. Even with the element of surprise, there was no way Tails would be able to take on that many Egg bots alone. He veered his trusty plane to a safe distance as he reached for his two-way radio.

"Hey Sonic. Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time. I'm flying over Eggman's old fortress and it looks like he moved back in. I'm not sure what he's up to yet but I doubt all these robots are just for yard work. Uh-huh? You sure you can handle this on your own? Ok…just give me a buzz if you need a quick escape ok? Rodger that, see you in a few."

Interrogation Cell

From the second Klonoa came to, he knew he knew he was in trouble though not entirely sure why. Strapped to a chair in a dark room was not how he had been hoping to wake up. Though it was definitely better than waking up and half drowning in the Sea of Tears. Klonoa struggled to free his arms but to no avail. Looking at his hand he remembered his ring. It was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh man! Where is my ring?" he mumbled aloud as he strained to look for it in the darkness. Suddenly, the lights came on and half blinded him. Once his eyes adjusted he saw two very tall and very well armed robots looking right at him. Wide eyed, Klonoa sat very still hoping not to aggravate them. Then a third figure appeared, a pudgy man dressed in a red and yellow coat strolled his way over giving Klonoa an evil grin.

"Looking for this?" he said, revealing Klonoa's prized possession.

"Hey give that back!" Klonoa yelled, trying to struggle free of the chair.

"Fat chance you little brat. I have no idea how you penetrated this facility, but you are going to tell me how and who sent you!" Eggman paced around the chair, holding the ring behind his back.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Who are you and where am I?" he asked, hoping that things would start making sense.

"Feigning ignorance, huh? Fine. Your in the laboratory of the world famous scientist Doctor Eggman of the Eggman Empire. You, young man, were caught trespassing on my property and I demand to know why and how you got in!"

"Look, I wasn't trespassing. At least, I didn't mean to. I just got here by accident. Let me go and I won't bother you again."

"Ha! A likely story. You appeared in one of the most secure buildings on the face of the planet by accident? Tell me that doesn't sound more than a bit hard to believe?" Klonoa racked his brain, struggling for an answer. It didn't help that he have many answers of why he was called to different worlds. "Regardless, the reason why you're here is not as important as to how. Since you were searched the only item you have appears to be this little trinket. What properties does it have that allow you to appear at will?"

"You're asking the wrong person." Klonoa said, glaring at the old man. "I have no idea how or what called me to your world but I just-"

"Wait a moment." Eggman interrupted. "World? You mean to say that your from outer space?"

"No! I'm from…"Klonoa hesitated. Where was he from originally? All that he had thought was his home had turned out to be nothing more than an illusion.

"I'm from Breezgale, one of the lands of Phantomile."

"Never heard of either of those. And you say you're not from outer space." Eggman mused to himself, ignoring his captive's progress at freeing himself. It seemed the more he twisted the restraints, the more they loosened. Just a little longer and he could make a break for it. Klonoa focused his attention back on the doctor when he broke into a maniacal laugh. "Well it seems today is my lucky day after all. It seems the key to dimensional travel has fallen into my lap. You have my gratitude…"

"Klonoa." Said the young dream traveler. Whoever this man was, he was bad news and the sooner Klonoa grabbed his ring and escaped the sooner he was to finding out why he had been brought here in the first place.

"You're going to help me use this little marvel to travel to a world of my own. Do so and I will set you free." Eggman sneered.

"Why do you want to go to another world? What's wrong with this one?" Klonoa asked.

"Not that it is any of your business, but this world has proven too difficult for me to conquer. Once I reach a new world, one weak enough to submit to my rule, then all that I have worked for will become a reality," the mad doctor monologued to himself. Unaware of Klonoa's progressing escape from his restraints. A new sense of urgency surged through Klonoa as the severity of the current situation finally hit him. Whoever this "Eggman" was, he was planning on bringing chaos to possibly peaceful worlds. Something Klonoa could not allow.

"You can't do that!" he yelled.

"Just watch me." Eggman replied and he made his way for the door.

With all of his might he hurled himself forward, causing his chair to fall to the ground. The force released Klonoa from his restraints and he jumped to retrieve his ring. The robots opened fire but Klonoa quickly dodged out of the way and ran underneath the large robots and out the nearby door. Eggman slowly got to his feet, seething with anger.

"Stop him! And bring back the ring! No matter what it takes!"

Klonoa ran down the twisting and turning hallways as quickly as he could. Robots of all shapes and sizes tried to stop him but became immobilized when he hit them with a wind bullet. After a few minutes, however, he felt that he was running around in circles with no sign of any way out. Just then he spotted a robot pushing a waste receptacle. Klonoa grimaced as he jumped and ducked down into the smelly mess. So much had happened in the last few minutes, it was almost hard to keep track of. Why had he come to this world? Had someone summoned him? With too many questions and not enough answers, Klonoa resolved to find a way out of his current predicament before anything else.

Cliff overlooking the fortress

A chilling breeze flowed up the rocky wall from the ocean below, but Sonic barely seemed to notice it. His full attention was on Eggman's newly rebuilt headquarters, which seemed to be going into lockdown. Robots that had been stationed as sentries were now running in a panic back into the facility while a select few manned the searchlights. Sonic scratched behind his ears, one eyebrow raised.

"Looks like the doc has been busy, but with what?" he asked himself. According to Tails, who had flown a safe distance away at his request, Eggman had not left the premises since the power returned about a month ago. Odd since he would have normally made his move by now. What was Eggman waiting for? Suddenly, the loud crash of metal came from one of the cargo doors. A sentry robot had been hurtled through the door and now lay on the helipad. A boy jumped through the hole, running frantically to find a way out through the outer wall. Not too far behind him, a giant robot with pincers attached to long electrified cables ripped through the metal door and corned its target.

"Well, I guess that's my cue." Sonic sighed to himself as he tore down the cliff.

As for Klonoa things had gone from bad to worse. His plan to escape through the trash had taken him straight into the clutches of a disposal bot, which had chased him all the way from the incinerator room. He had done his best to escape it, using other robots to clear the way and jump out of reach, but he was running out of room, and objects to through at it. As he was pressed into a corner, Klonoa looked frantically for a way to get around the mechanized monster. Noticing a gap between its legs, he made a dash for it. Only for one of the robots many claws to grab him from behind. He let out a gasp as the cold metal began to squeeze. The metal monster raised the Dream Traveler in the air, gears grinding as it prepared to incapacitate its target.

In the blind of an eye, a flash of blue shot over the fortress wall and hit the unsuspecting brute at its back weak spot. It toppled over like a domino, releasing Klonoa who toppled the ground. He looked up to see a blue hedgehog standing between him and the robot, which was struggling to right itself up.

"You okay?" the hedgehog asked, looking back to Klonoa.

"Yeah. Thanks a lot." Klonoa nodded as he stood up. The two stood side by side as the robot turned to face them.

"Looks like your friend here isn't happy you're leaving. Don't mind if I play with him a little bit?" Sonic said, flashing a confident smile.

"Sure." Klonoa smiled back. "I'll back you up."

"You sure?"

"I can take care of myself." Klonoa readied his ring for battle. Sonic saw the ring and immediately recognized it. Making a mental note to ask about it later he turned his attention back to the robot.

"Okay. Just keep your distance. These things can pack a wallop up close." With that Sonic took off and drew the bot's attention, attacking it with vollies of homing attacks. With its weak spot exposed, Klonoa grabbed whatever debris he could find and hurled it. Before long the robot was unable to keep up with the barrage as crashed to the ground. As the robot lay still, Klonoa rejoined the hedgehog as they admired their work.

"Not bad at all. You and I make a good team. What's your name kid?" the hedgehog asked.

"Klonoa. Thanks for saving me, Mr?"

"The name's Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog. No need for the mister." Sonic gave Klonoa a thumbs up which he returned. Just then more robots began to pour out of the fortress. Sonic scratched his head and sighed. "Man that guy is tenacious. We better skedaddle."

Sonic held out his hand and Klonoa took it, tenitively. Sonic went to full speed and used the fallen robot as a lift to make it over the wall. Klonoa held on for dear life as his new companion broke the sound barrier. It wasn't long before the creepy fortress was long out of sight. Klonoa let out a sigh, too much had happened that hadn't made any sense but at least he had kept the ring out of that lunatics hands.

"So I've been meaning to ask, what is that ring you got there?" Sonic asked, not able to withhold his curiosity any longer.

"Its…"Klonoa hesitated as he remembered how he first got the ring. Sonic had saved his life so he deserved to know everything. "It's a memento of a friend of mine. We got separated a long time ago and it's helped me a lot in my travels."

"Travels? What kind of places have you been to?" Sonic looked back to him. Klonoa shook his head and smiled.

"It's a long story. I can tell you all about it once we get to someplace safe. I have just as many things to ask you as well." Sonic returned his smile.

"Fair deal. I know just the place." The two sped off towards the horizon.

**Eggman's Laboratory**

"How could you let him get away?" Eggman shouted over the intercom. "I should have every last one of you melted down! Find that ring and bring it back to be at once! Do you hear me? I want every last one of you out looking for that brat, failure to do so will result in a one way ticket to the scrap heap!" the loud speaker clicked off as all the robots remaining in the testing room began to leave their stations. Until Eggman was satisfied he wouldn't need them guarding a machine that didn't work. The assistant bot supervised the cleanup and made sure everything was in order. Near the machine lay the compound that had served as the portal's focal point. It was still smoldering after the experiment and no longer of any use. The assistant bot decided to retrieve it and dispose of it properly. As its metal hand touched the foreign substance, every circuit inside it froze and it AI consciousness was overridden by something else. The dark smoke coiled up the robot's arm and seemed to fuse with the metallic body. The robot looked at its hands, contemplating its appearance.

"THIS WILL DO…FOR NOW." It said in a hushed tone, and proceeded to follow the other robots out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**(Authors Note: I know its been awhile since I posted anything but Job hunting tends to take up a lot of time. I'll do what I can to keep working on my two ongoing fanfics and get them finished but I need your support. Write a review on what you like or don't like and how the fic can be improved. Thank you to everyone who has favorited and alerted this story. You are all amazing and I hope you continue to enjoy this crazy little crossover).**

"Twenty three, twenty-four, twenty-five."

Rouge the Bat gave a sly smile as she counted the spoils from her latest job. Hunting for rare jewels on her own time was fun but there was just something special about being handed valuable gems that you couldn't find out of museums. The best part was, it was official. No hassle of coming up with a break-in strategy, no worrying about having to hand anything back to the police should something go wrong. As long as she did her job, G.U.N would give her whatever she asked for.

"I believe that is the entire collection of the lost gems of Mystic Valley, as you requested." Commented the G.U.N requisition officer. A bit thick headed but at least he always had her payment waiting for her.

"Indeed they are." Rouge said as she held the largest to the light. The gem shimmered like water rippling in a small pool. Satisfied Rouge placed her prize back in the manila envelope with the others. "Adam, you astound me how you manage to get such beauties like these with no problems. You sure you weren't a grifter in a past life?"

"No ma'am. Just following orders. If you want to keep getting paid I suggest you do the same." He replied.

"Oh come on now Adam, I thought that was water under the bridge. The fugitives were caught in record time and with zero collateral damage I might add." Rouge sat on the desk, hoping her usual charms would sway the stiff to her way of thinking. His stone-faced look made her smile disappear. He wasn't buying it.

"Your little solo stunt got me demoted to requisitions. You may think you're one of G.U.N's top agents, but don't think for a second that you can walk all over the rest of us to get what you want." Rouge smirked and leaned in closer to the man, waving the envelope in her hands.

"Good results equal good rewards Adam. If you keep supplying my payments, maybe they'll move you up to the next level of desk jockey." Adam stood up, his face red, but he never moved away from his desk. He was all too aware that Rouge would lay him flat if he so much as touched her. Straightening his collar, he sat back down to work at his computer.

"If you'll excuse me Agent Rouge, I have work to do." Rouge smirked and headed towards the door.

"Always a pleasure Adam, we simply must chat again like this again."

Closing the door behind her, Rouge let out an exasperated sigh. As of now she was free to go home and add her new gems to her collection. Through the crowded hallways full of G.U.N's finest, she made a b-line for the exit. Only two steps away from the door, the intercom sounded.

"ROUGE THE BAT, REPORT TO THE BRIEFING ROOM IMMEDIATELY. ROUGE THE BAT, REPORT TO THE BRIEFING ROOM IMMEDIATELY." Rouge moaned as she turned around and headed to the elevator.

**G.U.N** Briefing

As Rouge walked through the door she smiled when she saw rows of empty chairs. Normally, she would have to stand in the corner due to the fact agents assigned as her "squad" would be tacking up all the seats. In the end though, all they really were was backup.

"Glad you could join us Agent Rouge." Said Commander Tower, his arms crossed.

"I'm always ready for more work," Rouge sighed "Assuming you've got the payment."

"Of course. If you would take a seat, we can get started." As she sat down, she noticed someone sitting a few chairs away from her. It was her favorite black hedgehog, Shadow. His ever-present stoic demeanor remained unchanged even when he made eye contact with her. Rouge gave him a smile and a small wave, hoping he would at least give her a node of recognition. Only for him to turn his attention back to Commander Tower. Rouge rolled her eyes as she placed her feet on the desk. Shadow was nothing if not consistent.

"Now that we are all here, we can begin." Tower said as he took a remote from the nearby podium. Pressing one of its many buttons, the lights dimmed as a projector screen lowered behind him. Images of a large fortress began to appear, others of robots running in and out frantically. With their distinct round design and orange color, there was no mistaking it. Rouge smirked as she pieced together the mission before the General could even speak. No doubt Shadow was thinking the same thing she was. "A few hours ago our satellite recorded these images from Eggman's ocean laboratory. While there has been no sign of the doctor for months, this level of activity can only mean one thing..."

"The doc is back in town. And you want us to see what's got him so busy." Rouge said nonchalantly. Having spied on Eggman in the past, she had heard this tune before. That didn't make the prospect of spying from the outside any less aggravating.

"Yes, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. If you keep watching the footage you see that things much more than busy." As the footage played out a robot crashes through a door, followed by a small boy being chased by one of the doctor's larger mechanization.

"Who's the kid?" Shadow asks.

"Unknown, we still need to get an ID. Judging from the way the robots are focusing their energy to capture and not destroy would suggest he means something to Eggman, so any data you can gather on him will be invaluable." Just then a blue blur shot over the fortress wall crashing into the robot. "And as you can see, Sonic the Hedgehog has already gotten involved.

"No surprise there." Rouge shrugged. The battle played out until both Sonic and the boy escaped, leaving the robot in shambles.

"The problem is that he has taken one of our best leads to find out what Eggman is up to."

"So why don't you just contact him then?" Rouge asked.

"That is already taken care of Agent Rouge. What you need to focus on is much more difficult. You and Shadow need to infiltrate Eggman's base to find out as much as you can from the man himself."

"Just the two of us? I know a certain tin can that would absolutely love to give Eggman a house call." Rouge chided

"This is strictly a recon mission. Until we have more info, we cannot risk a frontal assault. We can't risk threatening Eggman and making him volatile. Is that understood?"

"Yes." Shadow nodded.

"Got it covered." Rouge gave the Commander a smirk and a wink.

"I trust you'll get the job done. Get whatever supplies you need and leave for the Ocean Plains at 19 hundred hours. Dismissed." Commander Tower walked away from the check as it rose back up and the lights turned on. Rouge rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the brightness. Making her way back to the door, she paused and looked back to Shadow who was talking to the Commander. Her keen ears listened in on their conversation. From the look on their faces, it was very important.

"You're sure about this?" Shadow asked concern in his voice.

"I've spent hours looking through these records myself and had three of my best analysts look it over as well. I wouldn't have approached you unless I was certain. The order to move in was not sanctioned by any of the G.U.N. higher-ups during that time. Whoever made the order was part of a splinter group that acted out of fear of Gerald's research. The officers involved got reprimanded, but with just a slap on the wrist. Severe charges would have questioned by the media, something my predecessor couldn't handle." Commander Tower said giving Shadow a solemn look. The papers he held in his hand crinkled as he clenched his fist.

"Little point in looking for justice now Commander. Fifty years are a long time for you humans." Shadow looked away as he crossed his arms. Rouge's eyes softened as she looked the black hedgehog. While he was a master at looking like nothing was wrong, she couldn't imagine the turmoil that was coursing through him.

"I'm well aware of that Shadow. That doesn't mean all this information has to stay buried." Shadow looked back to the Commander. His curiosity piqued. "I've talked with the President and we have gained permission to look through all the classified files on the Ark incident…and share them with the world. It is only fair, considering what Gerald did for us. The world needs to know what really happened to him….and Maria." Shadow closed his eyes at the name of his first friend. He had promised to try to put those horrors behind him, that didn't make them any less painful. "Are you comfortable with this? You are just as close to this incident as I was. If there is anything you would prefer to keep secret…"

"Tell them everything." Shadow said bluntly, catching the Commander off-guard. "The humans of the world need to come to their own conclusion about what happened."

"Are you sure? People could still blame you, like I did"

"Let them." Shadow said as he turned to leave. "As long as they understand exactly what happened on that station, I don't care what those humans think."

"I understand." Commander Tower nodded as he put the file under his arm. "Listen Shadow, I know your transition to G.U.N hasn't been easy, but I want to remind you that should you have any concerns, do not hesitate to come and speak with me." There was brief silence between the two as Rouge hesitated to walk out and give them some space. "I will be visiting my grandson in a few weeks. You are welcome to join me. I'm sure he would be happy to see you again." The Commander had a sad smile on his face. Rouge gaped out of shock since she had never seen the man make any expression other than irritation or his famous no-nonsense military face. She looked back to Shadow, who made no effort to turn around and look Tower in the eye.

"I need to get ready for the mission, if you'll excuse me sir." The black hedgehog said solemnly before heading out the opposite door. Rouge took one last look at the Commander's disheartened expression before excusing herself from the room.

**G.U.N Equipment room**

Rouge scoped out the room. As usual, it was jam-packed with various field agents. The clicking noise of the bullet proof vests buckles rang in her ears and the smell of metal permeated her nose. She hated this room. Sure, it had a few useful gadgets that she used on occasion, but a room like this was mainly for the people who weren't as good at their job as she was. As she looked around for her depressive partner, she made eye contact with a few other agents. All of them looked at her with anger. Rouge simply showed off her trade mark smirk. Despite her success as an agent, most of her colleagues still considered her a thief which led to situations like Adam. Frankly, Rouge didn't care what they thought. She had always worked alone, both as a Treasure hunter and a GUN Agent and she didn't mind keeping it that way. Though there was one person whom she somewhat enjoyed his company. After wading through the masses of dirty looks, she finally found him in the empty corner of the room.

Just like her, the other field agents gave Shadow a wide berth, but mostly out of fear. It seemed to suit Shadow just fine, it game him plenty of space for his constant brooding.

"So looks like it's just the two of us this time." Rouge said as she walked up to her partner. "We'll have to bring Omega a souvenir." Shadow didn't even acknowledge her presence as he put on a wrist communicator. Rouge's ears dropped, another attempt to start a conversation…failed.

"So…"she mumbled awkwardly, "Any thoughts about the mission? You think Eggman would have just decided to find a nice rock to crawl under after his last epic failure. I tell you, the man is completely pathetic." She rested her back against the locker, fingers playing with her hair.

"All the more reason to be cautious." Shadow said finally. Rouge raised an eyebrow.

"Why? It's not like we can't stop him or whatever lame take over the world scheme he cooked up this week."

"Right now, Eggman is a cornered animal, desperate enough to try anything to continue his lifestyle. Sonic's interference is only going to make the already fragile situation worse. We need to find out what the Doctor is up to and develop a counter measure before he reaches his breaking point, if he hasn't reached it already." Shadow said solemnly as he checked his Power Limiters. Rouge felt a chill up her spine; things couldn't be that bad…could they?

"Well you're just a ray of sunshine as always. Aren't guys supposed to reassure girls that everything will be okay?" she said with an irritated tone.

"Until we find proof that it is, I suggest you stay on your guard. The last thing I need is you slowing me down." Rouge gave a small sigh. Long ago she would never have let a comment like that slide, but she had gotten used to it after becoming Shadow's partner. Deep down under those imposing black and red quills was a sentimental hedgehog that would come to the surface one day. No matter what, Rouge promised that she would be there when that day came….with popcorn.

"Alright then," Rouge said with a sigh, "What's the plan?"

"The usual. Just don't get caught."

"Me? Get caught? Please! You just can't let me forget about Prison Island, can you?" Rouge huffed putting her hands on her hips. Shadow smirked as he began to make his way to the back exit.

"Hey Shadow." Rouge called out, her voice soft and hesitant.

"What?"

"Are you going to take the Commander's invitation? It seemed important to him."

"No. I have work to do."

"Oh come on! You've been 'working' nonstop since you joined. You've got to take time to relax or you're going run yourself into the ground."

"It's not that. What's done is done. There is no point of perpetuating the issue when we both know we need to move on."

"Shadow, the man is TRYING to make things up to you. Maybe even trying act like a friend. Do you have any idea how many people in this building would love to get in your positon, me included? Being friends with a man who is also your boss can lead to some pretty good rewards, early promotions or even authorized access to every jewelry store in the world! Why not take advantage of that?"

"None of those things interest me." Shadow replied curtly. Rouge put her right hand to her forehead, should have seen that one coming.

"Well, just go for the experience then. Having someone to talk to can't hurt." Rouge moaned rubbing a finger on her temple.

"I'm not so sure." Shadows response caught Rouge off guard. She looked at him and saw his body tense up, like something had gotten under his skin. Rouge could tell something was bothering him but didn't have the heart to ask. They had work to do. The interrogation could wait.

"Alright. See you at the rendezvous point?" Rouge said strapping her bag of gems to her belt. Shadow looked at her and nodded.

"Don't be late." He said as he walked out. Rouge shrugged her shoulders. That hedgehog worries way too much. She had plenty of time to get her new beauties home and organized, with an hour or two of admiring them….maybe three.

**Meanwhile, at Tail's Workshop in the Mystic Ruins…**

"Let me see if I can sort this out. Your from another world, or another dimension more specifically. You've been transported to multiple worlds to help save their residents from disaster. As a result, your memory of the world you originally came from is gone?" Tails said as he paced in front of his prized plane. Klonoa, who sat in a chair just opposite the two tailed fox, nodded. Sonic listened intently leaning on the wall on the far side of the room.

"That sums it up." Klonoa said, "A few people I've met during my travels called me 'The Dream Traveler'. I'm not entirely sure what that means but it sounds important."

"It sure does." Tails scratched his head as he continued to put the pieces together. "From what you've told us, there is a distinct pattern to these dimensional jumps. I'm just wondering, why our world?"

"Maybe to keep that Eggman guy from leaving. He said he wanted to travel to another dimension and conquer it." Klonoa looked over his shoulder when he heard Sonic chuckle.

"So he's finally trying to fly the coop eh? I guess I might have gone a bit over board last time." Sonic scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Considering there were two of you, it wasn't that hard." Tails pointed out. Klonoa looked at them both, blinking.

"Um…what are you guys talking about?" he finally asked.

"Oh sorry. It's just; Eggman has tried to take over this world for years." Sonic looked at his fingers and began counting. "From a killer robot armada, ancient relics or even threatening to blow the planet up," Klonoa gasped and got up out of his chair. Had his captor really been capable of all that? Sonic laughed at his reaction. "Relax. None of them have ever worked. Stopping his evil plots has become something of a hobby of mine. So whatever plans he cooking up this time will end up where they always do. I promise." Klonoa let out a sigh. If some like Eggman ever got to Phantomile or Lunatea…

"By the way Klonoa," Sonic asked "What's the deal with that ring you've got?"

Klonoa looked down at the large gold ring, thinking back to when he first remembered getting it. "I'm…not entirely sure. I've had it for as long as I can remember, and I've never lost it when I travel. It helps me get around and fight when I have to, but I'm not really sure where it came from. I had always thought it had belonged to a friend of mine but…"

"Hmm." Tails looked at the ring with the focus of a scientist pondering a new hypothesis. He began to rummage through some of his tool chests and pulled out a small green device. A few clicks and the small gadget let out a werring sound. The device beeped twice and Tails eyes widened. "Maybe that's why you're here Klonoa!" he said finally

"Huh?"

"In our world, there are these gemstones called Chaos Emeralds. All seven are able to put out huge amounts of energy on their own and even more when they are all together. I made this device to track down their distinct energy signature…and your ring is giving off that same reading as a Chaos Emerald."

"Tails are you sure?" Sonic asked.

"Positive. I just repaired this. There is no way its malfunctioning."

"So…do you think this is from your world?" Klonoa looked at Tails with bated breath.

"Maybe. Chaos Emeralds are capable of both dimensional and time travel so it would explain how you can go from world to world. But the gem on your ring is too small. Maybe a similar energy pulse drew it to our world or maybe..."Tails became lost in thought. Both Sonic and Klonoa looked at each other.

"Did you get any of that?" Klonoa asked.

"I stopped trying to follow _everything_ he said years ago." Sonic shrugged.

"It is weird though. In other worlds the ring needed someone inside it in order for it to work. But I was able to use it like normal at Eggman's fortress." Klonoa gripped his prized possession tightly. What if all the answers he had looked for where somewhere in this strange world?

"I have a hunch the Chaos Emeralds are responsible, but I'm not 100% sure." Tails said finally snapping out of his reverie.

"Aren't they always?" Sonic sighed. "Knuckles should have a few with him right?"

"Yep. Let's go pay him a visit." Tails grabbed his backpack from a nearby desk and ran over to the Tornado to get it prepped for launch.

"Come on Klonoa, let's get to the bottom of this." Sonic beckoned as he walked over the bi-plane.

"Okay. Thanks a lot. Both of you." Klonoa said with his trademark smile.

"Don't sweat it. I'm just as curious as you are." Sonic smirked as he hopped into place on the back of the plane. However just as Klonoa was about to join them, the workshop's doorbell rang.

"Expecting company?" Sonic looked down to his young partner.

"I don't think so." Tails said as he hesitantly got out of the cockpit and made his way to the door. He opened it to find an armed G.U.N. agent standing on the porch, with a very unhappy Amy Rose at his side.

"Miles Tails Prower, Ms. Rose informed me that you are the best person to find Sonic the Hedgehog. Can I have a minute of your time? I am here on behalf of Commander Tower to discuss a breach of planet wide security."

**(Uh oh! Bad Timing GUN. So yeah a lot of exposition in this chapter for which I apologize but I've wanted to come up with more of a back story for Klonoa's mysterious ring and what keeps pulling him from world to world. Also, Shadow and Rouge! Yay! I'm a huge fan of Shadow so I couldn't not have him in here. Looks like something has been bothering him lately but what could it be? Find out that and more when we hit Chapter 4. ^_^)**


	4. Chapter 4

The G.U.N agent stood tall in the doorway, his bulky frame making him barely fit through the door. This human was all muscle, to the point the he seemed to barely fit in the GUN standard issue uniform. Amy stood next to him grumbling, tapping her shoe like she was on a time limit. Sonic looked over at the door hesitant to show himself. GUN's dealing with him had been somewhat bipolar. Contacting him either meant they were requesting his help or were looking to arrest him…again. Considering the Commander had sent a behemoth to talk about "planet-wide security" he began to assume the latter. Tails seemed to relax however.

"It's good to see you Captain Mays. Come on in." Tails said with a smile. "And you drop the formalities."

"Sorry Mr. Prower. "The agent said as he squeezed through the door. "I just always wanted to say something like that while on the job. Did it sound okay? I mean, I guess it is a bit cheesy but they always make lines like that seem so cool in the movies."

"Hollywood wouldn't hire you, but it was pretty good. You definitely startled me." Tails laughed while Captain Mays returned a smile.

"Um…hate to interrupt your bromance Captain but, could you please let me go!" Amy shouted. "I've got important errands to run."

"No can do little missy, I've been given strict orders to find and guard Sonic and all his allies. This is for your own good that you stay put for now until the all clear."

"I can handle myself thank you very much. Unless you want to feel my wrath, do NOT get in the way of a girl when she is shopping!" Sonic relaxed as he hopped out off the Tornado. He didn't understand what was going on but Tails seemed to trust the guy. Klonoa followed suit, happy to meet another friendly face.

"Tails, you know this guy?" Sonic asked. Tails nodded.

"Yeah. Captain Mays has visited the workshop for a few months now."

"Mr. Prower has been nice enough to give some of his inventions to GUN. So I've made return visits to help with transport and the occasional heavy lifting."

"Doesn't look like you're here for any of that though." Sonic remarked. Captain Mays smirked.

"No unfortunately not." Said looking over at Klonoa. Amy used the distraction to pry Mays' firm grip from her shoulder and ran over to Sonic.

"This jerk had the nerve to restrain me against my will, claiming it was for my protection. I swear, I can never tell whose side you guys are really on." Mays sighed as he removed his helmet and handed Tails paper file. He then looked at Sonic, a solemn look on his face.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to get to the point. GUN ordered me to find you so you could fill us in on what you know, in regards to Eggman. The protection part is just a roundabout way of saying that until the higher-ups get the information they need, I'm supposed to keep you here under house arrest." Sonic narrowed his eyes. GUN never did really trust him, despite the many times he had gone out of his way to save the planet. Was a little respect too much to ask? "In all honesty," Mays continued, "I think the backhanded military politics that order has is a load of crap, so I'm just going to ask to just give me the simple lowdown so I can command off my back. After that, I'll help you however I can."

Sonic smiled. He was beginning to like this big guy already.

"Eggman?" she asked. "Don't tell me he at it again already?"

"Yep. Except 10 times more paranoid." Sonic said looking over to her. Amy let out an exasperated moan.

"Argh, and I was hoping we could have a few weeks of downtime so we could get everything ready for the big day."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. What big day was she talking about? His birthday party had been a few months ago. Had he promised her another date and forgotten about it? Sonic began to break out in a cold sweat. If she found out he had forgotten again…

"To be honest Captain, we really don't know too much." Tails said bringing Sonic back to the task at hand. Klonoa stepped forward catching the captain's and Amy's attention.

"Eggman is trying to leave this world by traveling to a different dimension, and he says he needs my ring to do it." He held out his ring as proof. "You've got to tell whoever's in charge to stop him."

"Who are you?" Amy asked. Klonoa looked at her in surprise before scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. " His grandpa had always been reminding him about how important manners were to first impressions. "My name is Klonoa, nice to meet you." He said with a smile.

Amy returned it. "I'm Amy Rose. Nice to meet you to."

"So you're the little guy that escaped from Eggman's base." Captain Mays kneeled down by Klonoa, looking him in the eye. "Are you 100% sure that is what Eggman's planning."

"Yes, he told me himself." Klonoa nodded, gripping his ring tight. Mays nodded and put his giant hand on Klonoa's tiny shoulder.

"Alright. I promise we'll do everything we can to stop him. Can I hold on to the ring for a while? We'll need to lock it up so Eggman can't get it." Klonoa shook his head.

"I'm sorry but, this ring is very important to me. It's the only thing that can help me find out where I come from. I won't let Eggman take it ever again. I promise." Klonoa looked up at the Captain, fire in his eyes. Mays recognized that and smiled before standing back up.

"Your something else little guy. I'm going to hold you to that promise okay?'

"Yeah!" Klonoa smiled.

"Eggman could be after the ring due to its energy signature. I checked and it's the same as a Chaos Emerald." Tails interjected.

"How can that be? I thought there were only seven emeralds?" Amy asked.

"That's why we have to go to Angel Island to find out." Tails said. "If we know what makes this ring so special, then we'll know how to keep Eggman away from it."

"Alright I'll get on the horn with HQ and let them know what's up. Ms. Rose and I can hold the fort till you get back" Mays said as he turned on his communicator and walked into the adjacent room.

"Don't just make decisions for me you bozo!" Amy retorted. She then turned her attention to Klonoa. "So Klonoa, you're not from around here are you? I've never seen someone who looks as strange as you do." Klonoa startled and looked himself over. Was there something on him that made him look weird? Amy giggled. "Weird in a cute way."

"Oh. Heh" Klonoa blushed. "I'm from another world actually. Or at least, I think so."

"Seriously?" Amy said in surprise. Klonoa scratched his nose in embarrassment. Amy looked at him with a smile and patted him on the head. Resulting in Klonoa's hat to cover his eyes. "It doesn't matter where you come from or what you look like. If you need anything, Amy Rose is on the job. I don't care what that Mays guy says." Amy grinned wide as she walked over to the Tornado. Klonoa readjusted his hat at looked at her, not entirely sure what to say.

"You sure Amy? I thought you were busy?" Sonic interjected. Amy tossed her hair and gave the blue blur a sultry look. Sonic felt a cold shiver down his spin he knew what that look meant, expectation. An expectation that no matter what Amy was going to get what she wanted.

"Oh Sonic dear, you don't mind waiting a little while longer do you? Besides this all works out perfectly. What better time to get married after experiencing the joy of victory over one of Eggman's dastardly schemes." Amy said hands on her hips. Sonic felt his blood run cold.

"M…muh…muah…Marriage?!" He yelped. His legs began to twitch in a semi-conscious urge to run as far away as possible.

"Of course. Why fight destiny when it is right in front of us? You said so yourself." Amy said in her fan girlish tone, eyes sparkling.

"I never said anything like that!" Sonic fumed.

"You two are getting married?" Klonoa asked innocently. Sonic began waving his hands, hoping Klonoa would get the message to not get involved.

"Of course. I've known ever since we met, I knew Sonic and I were meant for each other. Now that we've both matured, it's time to take our relationship to the next step!" Amy said with pride. Klonoa looked from Amy back to Sonic.

"Wow, that's great Sonic! I'm really happy for you both." Klonoa exclaimed.

"Don't encourage her!" Sonic yelled as he inched back to the way, attempting to put as much space between him and Amy as possible.

"No need to be so nervous Sonic darling. We'll have plenty of time to prepare once we stop Eggman. I've already started looking for the right rings. I've found a few that look like the one you saw in your dream. You can help me pick out the right one when we get back."

"Wait. Ring? Dream?" Sonic's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "Hey, um…Amy?"

"What is it sweetie? We need to get moving. Oh! I know what we should do! Angel Island would be the best place for the ceremony! The Master Emerald could be in the back and when we've taken our vows we can run down the stairs and…"

"Amy! You've got it all wrong. I didn't dream about anything like that. It was…" Sonic stopped mid-sentence when he heard a far off rumbling noise. His eyes narrowed when he recognized the sound. The clanging of metal feet against the ground…lots of them.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked as she climbed into the second cockpit of the Tornado. Klonoa's ears perked up and ran to the window. Tails stood in the Tornado's main cockpit, he tried to look brave but his hands and legs were visibly shaking. Captain Mays reentered the room.

"Okay I filled HQ in with-"

"Shhhhh!" Tails motioned to the Captain, who gave him a confused look.

"What's up?" he asked looking around. Amy gave a small shrug.

"You guys hear that?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, but what is it?" Klonoa asked looking back.

"Eggbots." Tails said grimly. "Lots of them." Captain Mays face turned grim. He reached for his sniper rifle, loaded it and marched toward the door. He slowly opening it and walked out carefully, noticing a large dust cloud coming from the coast. The Captain reached for his tool belt and unclipped a set of binoculars. Looking through, he could barely see more than the cloud itself. Once he switched it to thermal mode however, he double timed back inside and locked the door.

"Those are Eggbots alright, over 200,000 thousand of them. And those are just the ones I saw." Klonoa, Amy and Tails began to shake. Sonic glared at the dust cloud that was slowly getting bigger.

"Ch. Eggman's not fooling around alright." He said cracking his figures and began to stretch out his legs.

"They'll be on top of this place in a few minutes. You need to go." Captain Mays ordered as he took cover next to an open window.

"Don't have to tell me twice." Amy squeaked as she hopped in the second cockpit. Klonoa moved away from the window and squeezed his ring. A wind bullet began to form as he took his place next to Sonic.

"You ready for another round Klonoa?" Sonic smirked.

"Yeah." Klonoa nodded. As they both made for the door, however, Captain Mays stood in their way.

"I'll handle this." He said firmly.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked in disbelief.

"You guys need to keep one step ahead of Eggman. The longer you stay here you give him more chances to find out what we're planning. Understand?" Sonic hesitated for a moment then nodded. "I'll keep these guys occupied for as long as I can. Get going!" Mays ordered.

"But!" Klonoa started to protest but Sonic grabbed him by the wrist.

"Come on Klonoa. There's something we need to find out right?"

"Yeah but," Klonoa looked back to the Captain, who gave him a smile.

"Don't worry about me. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for those hunks of metal." Taking out a small remote from his belt, he pressed a series of buttons. The workshop began to shake as a grinding noise could be heard from the roof. Looking out the front window, the first line of Eggbots had already arrived. Five spots in the ground to open up and revealed a series of laser turrets, immediately firing at the invading robots. Captains smirked as he lined up his sniper rifle from the window.

"Good thing we got those things installed in time Mr. Prower."

"Yeah. Be careful Captain!" Tails shouted as the propeller began to reach its top speed.

"I owe you one Captain." Sonic said giving him a thumbs up.

"Hey, it's the least I can do for all the times you've saved our butts." Said Mays, returning the thumbs up. "Can't have you outshining me." Sonic nodded before leading confused Klonoa to the plane as it began to face the hanger doors.

"Good luck Klonoa!" The captain shouted as the two heroes took positions at the rear of the plane. Klonoa looked down at the captain one last time and smiled.

"Yeah!"

Tails activated the runway as the hanger doors opened. The metal clanking of the robots was deafening now, accompanied by blaster fire. The front windows began to shatter with leaving a number of scorch marks on the opposing wall. The Tornado lurched forward, gaining more speed every second. The group looked back as Captain Mays disappeared down the runway. Tails continued to look ahead as the Tornado lifted off the ground and into the air. From there, they could see that Eggman's entire army had lined up on the beach as was continuing to push forward towards the workshop. A few stray robots caught sight of the plane and began to shoot. Sonic grabbed a hold of Klonoa and the plane as Tails took evasive maneuvers. Within a few minutes, the group was well out of range.

"Hang on guys! We'll be at Angel Island in no time!" Tails yelled over the noise.

"Wahooooo!" Klonoa screamed as the Tornado disappeared into the clouds.

**Meanwhile at Eggman's seaside laboratory…**

Eggman continued to pace in front of his control room monitor. It had been 30 minutes since his army had reported their status, which was more than enough time for Sonic to have either demolished his entire army or flee. The rotund doctor tried to shake the doubts from his head. There was no way Sonic could handle such an overwhelming force, not with his friend's lives on the line. Eggman sneered at the thought of Sonic slowing himself down to protect his friends, giving his minions an opening to put him in his place once and for all. It was only a matter of time before that mysterious ring would be in his hands and a potential multiverse at his disposal. Eggman's mind raced as he thought about what kind of world he should conquer first. A robotic world would be preferable. All it would take would be a simple reprogramming and the world would be his to command. No fuzzy creatures giving him a hard time and plenty of resources to build whatever he liked. An enticing idea would be to create another theme park, but this time connected by dimensions. The possibilities would be absolutely endless. Eggman laughed to himself at his plan's brilliance. There was nothing that could set back-

*Beep Beep Beep*

The doctor practically jumped out of his skin when the loud buzzing of his chair communicator went off. He dashed over and got on the line.

"Report!"

"REPORTING DOCTOR EGGMAN. WE HAVE SIEZED CONTROL OF THE WORKSHOP."

"Ho ho ho ho ho! Excellent. Are there any prisoners or simply casualties of war?" he asked rubbing his mustache.

"ONLY ONE PRISONER. AN AGENT OF the G.U.N." Eggman turned at the name.

"What are those meddling fools doing there? Ah well, it doesn't matter. As long as Sonic is out of commission and the ring is mine, they will be irrelevant."

"SONIC THE HEDGEHOG HAS CHANGED LOCATION. EGGBOT 6,539 REPORTED SEEING THE HEDGEHOG FLEE WITH HIS ALLIES IN THE TORNADO 27 MINUTES AGO."

"Blast!" Eggman yelled, his temper rising. "And….let me guess, the ring is also nowhere to be found?" There was a short silence on the other end of the line.

"AFFERMITIVE." Eggman placed his figures to his temples.

"For the love of all that is good in this world, why must I suffer from incompetent subordinates?" He moaned. He then paused as the gears in his head began to turn. There was no way to track the Tornado or its cargo unless… "Bring the hostage to me immediately. I'll make him squeal one way or another."

"UNDERSTOOD DOCTOR."

Eggman continued to stroke his mustache as he considered his options. GUN would undoubtedly hound his every move now that he had abducted one of their own. The only solution would be to move to one of his underground laboratories. However, such a tactic would need time and robots that could be used to find the dimensional ring. No matter how much he hated being forced to hide, the strategist in him urged to temporarily put aside his pride for the sake of his ambitions. Eggman sat down in his chair and pressed on of its many buttons, turning one the laboratory speakers.

"Attention! This is an order from your lord and master. Begin operation B18. Leave nothing for those GUN copy cats. All buzz bombers are to take to the skies and find Sonic the Hedgehog. Retrieve the dimensional ring at all costs, I repeat at all cost!" he ordered. Almost immediately, red lights flashed and an alarm blared. The clinking and clanking of robots could be heard all over the laboratory as all the essential equipment began to move to the underground tunnels. Eggman's chair began to levitate as he followed his creations. The last time he had used these tunnels was during the Black Arms invasion. A good few had collapsed under the overwhelming force but Eggman had faith that the ones he hoped to use were still intact. GUN, with all their advanced technology, would never be able to find him.

Suddenly, the lights in the hallway went dark and the alarm went silent. The only lights came from the lite up eyes of his robots. Eggman turned on his chair light and activated his comm.

"What the devil is going on?" he yelled.

"DOCTOR. SENSORS INDICATE AN ANOMOLY IN THE GENERATOR ROOM. UNIT 537 IS ALREADY IN ROUTE. ORDERS?" one of the robot drones replied. Eggman grumbled. The last thing he needed was a power failure.

"I'm on my way down and there better be a guard regime waiting for me or so help me you'll be left for GUN to dissect."

**Generator room**

By the time Eggman arrived at the scene several of his battle droids had taken positions on either side of the open door. The normally hot generator room now had a chilling atmosphere that flowed into the hallway. Eggman sent a signal to his drones and they slowly moved inside. As he floated behind them, Eggman noticed the robot drones stationed in this sector where no longer functioning. He stopped by one and popped open its main processor. No signs of power surge or a processor malfunction, not even brute force. The drone had simply stopped working, as if it's battery had been completely drained. A relatively simple fix but it was the how, that piqued Eggman's interest.

"I'm going to get that blasted generator back online. Stay alert." Eggman ordered. The hover chair glided up and around the main generator. Looking it over, checking the internal wiring he saw that nothing was physically wrong with the machine. Like the drones, it had simply been drained of energy was in standby. All he had to do now was simply switch the machine back on and it would continue to gather energy till it could distribute it again. The doctor opened up a control panel and typed in priority commands. However, just has he was about to execute them, he heard the clash of metal against metal coming from below, followed by laser fire.

"What the devil is going on down there?" Eggman shouted. He directed his chair light back down to the ground and tried to find his guard drones. None of them were in sight. Eggman felt a bead of cold sweat run down his neck. He began turning in every direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of the culprit or one of his guards. Moving closer to the ground, he found his guards, or rather their powerless shells. Eggman grabbed the sides of his chair, squeezing to ease his anger and fear. "I don't know what you are or what you are doing but I demand you show yourself! You are trespassing on the property of Doctor Eggman of the Eggman Empire, and I don't take kindly to unexpected visitors." Eggman shouted in the dark. A small whirring noise could be heard in the far corner of the room. "I'm going to give you one final warning, I order to leave this facility immediately. Unless you want to experience the full wrath of my army."

A small light caught the Doctor's eye. Two tiny orbs, resembling robotic eyes were glowing on the far side of the room. Eggman moved to the side to get a better look. The bright high beam light on his chair lit up the side of the room, revealing his assistant robot.

"Where in the world have you been?" Eggman yelled. "And more importantly what are you doing down here? If this is all been a prank, I swear you're getting a one way ticket to the garbage disposal." Normally when he yelled at his robots they jumped at attention, but the assistant bot remained motionless.

"Did you hear what I said? I command you to tell me what-"The doctor flustered. He silenced when the tiny robot looked him dead in the eye.

"AT LAST WE MEET, IVO ROBOTNIK" said the tiny metallic voice. Eggman scowled. No one had called him by his real name in years. He had certainly never ordered his robot, to call him that. A black mist began to ooze its way out of the robot's joints, forming several very large tentacles. The doctor's mouth gapped open as the serious situation finally hit him. Fearing for his life, he turned around and bolted to the door. Just before he reached it however, he cried out as his chair was pulled out from under him. He toppled to the floor, his hover chair floating in midair as the black tentacles held it. The dark matter slinked its way into the device as light of electricity began to flicker. Eggman backed away as he watched his prized mode of transport was completely drained of its power and sent crashing to the floor.

"YOU HAVE BEEN SUMMONED FOR A PURPOSE."

"What…are you? Who are you? I am Doctor Eggman. The creatures of this world are mine to summon as I see fit!" the doctor growled.

"IS THAT SO? I AM HONORED, TO HAVE SUCH A PRESTIGEOUS SERVANT."

"I am nobody's servant!" Eggman cried as his knees knocked. "If you continue to disrespect me, you will have to suffer my wrath."

"WRATH…SUCH A FEEBLE EMOTION. ONLY A BRIEF MOMENT OF EXISTENCE BEFORE BEING SWALLOWED WHOLE BY THE SURROUNDING EMPTINESS." Without warning the dark tentacles surged forward wrapping around Eggman's arms and legs, forcing him to the floor.

"UNLESS YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY, RESTRAIN YOUR OUTBURSTS. YOU CONTINUE TO EXIST ONLY BECAUSE OF YOUR POTENTIAL. SHOULD YOU CEASE TO BE USEFUL OR BECOME A HINDRENCE, YOU WILL BE TERMINATED."

"Heh, you cut right to the chase. Let's say this little display did intimidate me, which it isn't and I agreed to your little offer, I would at least like to know who my master is." Eggman sneered as he looked up to the possessed robot. His fist clenched around a trigger button.

"IDENTITY? VERY WELL. I AM THE EMPTINESS THAT EXISTS BETWEEN WORLDS, THE ONLY SENTIENCE CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING THE ORDER OF THE MULTIVERSE. I HAVE NO FORM, NO NAME, I SIMPLY AM."

"Really?" Eggman said raising an eyebrow. This conversation was becoming more interesting by the second. "And what could someone like me possible have to offer an entity like you?"

"MY COMMAND TO YOU IS SIMPLY THIS. DESTROY THE DREAM TRAVELER."

"Dream Traveler?" Eggman asked as he struggled to sit up.

"HE APPEARS AS NO MORE THAN A CHILD. CARRYING A RING THAT PROTECTS HIM."

"Ahh yes, I came across that little urchin earlier. Easy enough to restrain and just as easy to capture. If only that blasted hedgehog hadn't interfered I'd already-"

"SUCH FAILURE CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN. THE DREAM TRAVELER IS THE ONE THING, THE ONLY THING, WHICH CAN STOP ME."

"Then perhaps we can help each other?" The strange creäture moved forward and looked Eggman dead in the eye. "I am seeking a way to leave this world behind; perhaps if I help you with your purpose then you could aid me in mine?" The dark, mist like substance seemed to shimmer around the robot.

"HA HA HA HA!" it laughed. "WHAT A DUBIOUS MORTAL YOU ARE." it said before lifting Eggman off the ground and slamming him to the wall. "YOU STILL DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE POSITION YOU ARE IN. EVERYTHING YOU ARE BELONGS TO ME, NOW AND FOREVER." The entity said, levitating off the ground. Eggman continued to struggle, kicking his legs. Though he stopped and smiled when he heard the sound of clinking metal.

"A pity. If you had taken my offer you could have lived." The robot firing squad lined up belong the robot and took aim. "I will enjoy taking you apart. FIRE!" A barrage of laser fire made direct hits on the tiny robot body. One well-aimed shot blew off one of its arms as the entity's tentacles retreated back into the metal body, trying to hold it together. Eggman stood up and brushed himself off. He sneered at his genius.

"Cease fire!" he ordered. As the lasers died down, the assistant bot, or what was left of it, fell to the ground in a heap. Eggman walked over to the pile of metal and kicked it. "So much for that arrogant, little abomination. Clean this up and bring it to the next lab site." He ordered as the doctor walked toward the door. Suddenly, the black tentacles reemerged and skewered every drone in the room, sucking their power dry. The mist converged on the largest drone, which seemed to activate and destroy what was left of the squad. Its cold, steel gaze turned to Eggman who stood in shocked silence.

"IT SEEMS I HAVE MISJUDGED YOU. NO MATTER." The entity said in a slithering voice. Eggman began to make a break for it, but was again restrained by the dark tentacles. However this time they began to bore into him. "PROCEED TO YOUR OBLIVION."

As a man of science, Doctor Eggman understood that you had to keep a level head when dealing with the unknown. However, the images that began to go through his head where more than unknown, they were horrifying. Every nightmare and phobia he had ever experienced came to life, from horrific beasts devouring him whole, drowning in the darkness of the deep ocean, and lastly seeing the perfect Eggman Empire he had always dreamed of, reduced to ashes by Sonic the Hedgehog, over and over again. With each new vision, he felt weaker, as if his very life force was draining. It didn't take long before the experience was too much to bear.

"NO!" Eggman shrieked. "I accept your terms! I'll do as you say! Please! I beg of you, stop!" Almost instantaneously the pain and visions vanished. He was back in his lab, gasping for breath, a stream of sweat dripping off his nose. The doctor removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, looking up to see the monstrous tentacles retreating back to their owner.

"EXCELLENT."

**Generator Room Ventilation System**

"Did you get all that?" Rouge whispered over the comm. She hated being in vents, dirty, smelly and the tight spaces made her outfit ride up. It did have its occasional perks, such as being the best way to move around undetected. Though today, the cons still outweighed the pros, especially she had to put face on the bottom of the vent to get the comm to pick up the shenanigans below.

"More or less." Shadow replied over the headset. Due to lab security being unusually poor, the infiltration had gone off without a hitch. Despite slight resistance, Shadow had cleared out the control room. With the power shut down, computer access was impossible so the two decided to split up to cover more ground.

"Sounds like Sonic & Pals could be biting off more than they can chew."

"Maybe."

"You could sound a bit more concerned you know." Rouge mumbled.

"Our mission is complete. Meet me back at the control room for extraction."

"You sure? I may find out more if I can get closer." Rouge said as she reached for the vent cover.

"And get compromised in the process? I don't think so."

"Look who you're talking to. I wasn't given the title of Super Spy just by batting my eyelashes. Have some faith will you."

"Rouge, don't. That is an order." Rouge sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Alright, fine. I'm on my way back." She moaned as she began to crawl back down the shaft. Just as her knee touched the cold metal, there was a very loud popping sound as it contracted to her body weight. Rouge froze mid-crawl. There was no way no one heard that. Figuring she was caught anyway, she began to crawl as fast as she could. She only got a foot before the vent shaft ripped out from underneath her and fell to the ground below.

"Rouge! Rouge, come in! What happened?" Rouge could barely hear Shadow as she came to her senses. She slowly crawled out of the metal tunnel, only to come face to face with both the Doctor and his mysterious new master.

"I, uh. May have a bit of a problem." She said sheepishly. Eggman looked terrible up close, like he had just been through hell and back. Yet despite being exhausted he still had enough in him to get steaming mad.

"You-"He began to yell.

"-never saw me." Rouge finished as she darted out of the room. Lights lit up the base as the generator came back online. The speakers crackled to life as she turned a corner.

"All able drones! Do not let that bat escape! I repeat, do not let her escape!" Eggman yelled, almost blowing out Rouge's very sensitive ears.

"Shadow, meet me near the main entrance. Our cover's been blown wide open." She said urgently.

"Really? I couldn't tell." Her partner said on the other line.

"Oh NOW you decide to have a sense of humor!" the bat thief growled. A large mob of robots charged at her from the front. Expanding her wings, Rouge leapt into the air gliding over the metallic arms grasping up at her.

"Ha! You're gonna have to do better than that boys." Rouge said in her usual flirtatious tone.

At long last, she made it to the front entrance to the base, but her excitement faded when she saw who had waited for her. Dark appendages twitched and swerved in the air, like snakes sizing up their prey as the mysterious entity stared her down. The Super spy clenched her hands into fists. She was going to have to play her next move very carefully. Rouge dashed to the right side of the room sticking low to the ground. As the tentacles surged forward to grab her, she began to flap her wings and shot up. Gliding towards the door, she kicked out her heels and collided with the main door. She looked at the door, grimacing when she saw her efforts had only made a dent. Before she had time to react, she could feel the entity restrain her lifting her off the ground and squeezing. Rouge let out a piercing shriek as her visions began, doing all that could to struggle. However, the harder the entity squeezed, the weaker she felt.

"SO…YOU HAVE POSSESSED ONE OF THE GEMS. ITS ENERGY COVERS YOU LIKE A BAD ODER. WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" the entity commanded. Rouge's grip became lax as she began to lose consciousness.

"Chaos Spear!" A yellow bolt of energy cut off the entity's hold on Rouge as it roared in pain. Shadow caught his partner before she hit the ground. Shooting the entity a glare as it attempted to recover its lost limbs. The ultimate life form wasted no time in busting through the fortress door and escaping the facility. Rouge came to not long after, as the Ocean Laboratory became a silhouette in the morning sun.

"How are you feeling?" Shadow asked.

"Like crud." She moaned. Rouge winced and held her head to stave off a headache. "If that thing had squeezed any harder I would have turned into a diamond."

"Can you fly? We need to move."

"Ugh, I guess? Just give me a sec." Shadow skidded to a stop and placed Rouge on the ground. After a few minutes of wobbling she was able to stand straight. "Whatever that freak did to me, I'm definitely not letting it happen again."

"It better not." Shadow said in a condescending tone.

"Now that's not fair. Just because you're the 'Ultimate Life Form" doesn't mean your immune to-" Rogue was interrupted by her communicator.

"What?!" she yelled into the microphone.

"Agent Rouge, you and Agent Shadow are past due for a status update."

"Oh, right." Rouge looked at Shadow, motioning toward the communicator. "Mission successful, more or less. I'll give you a detailed report when we return to base."

"Negative on that Agent Rouge. You and agent Shadow are to head to Angel Island immediately. Send what info you once your en-route." Rouge smirked at the good fortune. Not only was she getting extra pay for extra work, but another chance to lay eyes on that gorgeous Master Emerald. Oh, and warning Sonic and the others about that thing that was after their new friend, if she had time.

"Roger that. We are on our way." She looked to Shadow. "Up for some flying? Angel Island is just over that mountain range."

"You sure your up for that?" Shadow asked.

"Of course. Anything to see my precious Master Emerald again." Rouge shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, we were going to head that way, orders or not right?" Shadow smirked back as he took her hand. With a good bit of her strength back, Rouge expanded her wings and lifted off the ground, black hedgehog in tow.

**Back at the Ocean Laboratory**

Eggman, was way past furious. If he had the power he would set the world on fire to just appease his rage.

"Doesn't anyone knock anymore!" He yelled. "I may as well just demolish this whole lab." He turned to face his robots. "Get everything down those tunnels immediately. Leave a set of dynamite packs by the main generator and set it to blow in the next 30 minutes. Leave nothing behind!" the robots scurried off to their assigned duties as Eggman slowly walked toward the only drone that wasn't moving. Doctor Eggman tentatively walked up to the possessed robot and looked it over. The oozing dark mist began to shimmer all around the metallic body, growing larger every second.

"HEHEHEHEEHEHEH!" it laughed. "WHAT A CREATURE, TO HAVE SO MUCH POWER AND CONTROL IT WITH EASE. HIS FORM IS PERFECT. A LIVING WEAPON FOR ME TO USE AS I SEE FIT. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, CHILD OF CHAOS, YOUR POWER WILL BE MINE!"


End file.
